A strange Child
by okamirei
Summary: Fujitaka finds Syaoran on the streets, neglected by the townspeople.
1. Chapitre 1: The Strange Child

-Prologue- 

_...where am I?... Why am I here?...who...am I?_

-Chapitre 1-

A tall man strolled through the town's busy streets, delighted by the new sights he saw. He was around his mid 30's, though his tall, lean appearance didn't seem to show it. He had kind, brown eyes that were magnified by the professor glasses sitting upon his nose; then covered slightly by caramel-colored bangs. It was hard to believe the man was the internationally famous archaeologist, Fujitaka Kinomoto.

Fujitaka observed the diligent town. Street markets were everywhere. Parents and their children were vigorously buying their dinner ingredients. Men and women were restlessly shouting their fresh produce calls. He walked up to a cart full of bread, nodding at the merchant sitting in a chair.

"How are you today, sir?" asked the merchant, standing up and grinning. The man was scrawny and balding, and had a front tooth missing. His grey hair was a wisp in the air.

Fujitaka smiled. He was hungry for one thing, having nothing to eat since yesterday's airplane flight. He picked out a few buns from the cart. "How much?"

"Forty-five pikas."

"Alright." Fujitaka took out his cloth coin case. '_This country's currency is so strange!_' He thought, taking out what looked like silver and gold toothpicks.

As he paid, his eyes fell on a child behind the cart. The child looked around the age of seven; he was dressed in black, tattered clothes. He had bandages wrapped around his head of brown hair, the right eye covered. Torn bandages clothed his earthed feet and hands. He sat against the wall, his knees up to his chest, and his arms crossed upon his legs. Fujitaka peered at the strange child, and the child stared back. '_That child has such sad eyes…_'

"Ignore that kid…he's a strange one. Other than his appearance, I mean." Proclaimed the merchant; following Fujitaka's gaze.

Fujitaka blinked. "Other than his appearance?"

"That kid appeared from out of nowhere one rainy day," explained the merchant. He scratched his balding head with a gnarly finger. "He walked into this town looking like that. No one knows where he came from. He doesn't remember anything, he says. Doesn't even know who he himself is. Not even his name."

"Hmm…" replied Fujitaka, contemplating. He looked back at the odd child. "Does anyone ever give him something to eat? He looks starved."

"Of course. That's why he always sits there. I'm the only one in this town that is generous enough to give him something everyday." The merchant shook his head sadly, sighing. "It doesn't look it, but most of the people in this town are hostile to the ones that aren't from here. Even their children. If I wasn't here, I'd say that kid would be long gone now."

Fujitaka's eyes softened. That night he laid on his bed; the child's image and the merchant's words constantly popping into his mind. '_I've got to do something about this._' He remembered those sad, amber eyes. They were the saddest he had ever seen in his life. He turned to lie on his side, making a decision. '_I'll talk with him tomorrow._'


	2. Chapitre 2: Come With me

-Chapitre 2-

The rain poured down onto Fujitaka as he walked through the town the next day. The rain splattered on his glasses, yet he could see the distinct outlines of the old man snoring in a wooden chair. He looked behind the cart. The child was still there; sitting in the same position as yesterday. He held a sad, expressionless face. His downcast eyes darted to Fujitaka as he knelt down beside him.

"Hello." Said Fujitaka; giving a small smile, intending to stir up a conversation. The child remained silent. _Of course,_ thought Fujitaka, _after being neglected for so long, how would he speak to strangers?_

"Do you have a name?" he questioned. The boy paused, and then shook his head sadly.

"Any relatives? Do you remember where you came from? Anything from your past?" The child remained silent; shaking his head to each question. Fujitaka frowned, concerned by the boy's answers. Suddenly, a voice was heard behind him.

"Forget him mister! He's stupid and useless, and he hasn't gotten any friends!"

Fujitaka turned around. It was a girl, who apparently had been listening to their half-conversation. Her arms carried a rag doll and umbrella. Anger seethed inside him as he watched her run back to her mother, laughing. He looked back at the boy. The child had his head buried beneath his bandaged arms; shoulders shaking slightly, silently. The rain beat down as Fujitaka watched the child cry without a sound.

Immersed in sympathy, he made a decision. He stood up and held out a hand to the melancholy boy. "Come with me." The boy looked up, his tear-stained dirty face peering at the open palm, and then at Fujitaka. Fujitaka gave a smile. "Come with me. I'll take you out of this horrid place."  
The boy's brown eyes widened as the words reached his ears. Was this a trick? Could he trust this man? This…stranger? Taking a few moments to ponder, he took the archaeologist's hand. Beaming, Fujitaka pulled the boy up; quietly leading him away.

_You shall no longer be neglected…_


	3. Chapitre 3: Syaoran

-Chapitre 3-

Fujitaka gently held the boy's bandaged hand, leading him to where he stayed. They went into his room, the warmth of the room settled into the boy's skin. The boy closed his eyes momentarily in content, taking in the warmth that he's never encountered before. Fujitaka smiled as he saw the boy sit down on his bed, his eyes widening at the softness. He walked up to him, and began to un-wrap the boy's bandages. "Hmm…you don't have a name…or you don't remember it," he muttered. He looked up at the boy. "Am I right?"

The boy looked down at his feet, and nodded sadly in reply. Fujitaka stopped, observing the boy. "Then…I should give you one. After all…" he smiled secretively to himself. He thought for a few moments, "How about…Syaoran?"

The boy raised his head, looking into the kind brown eyes of the archaeologist. He nodded, unable to express the strange feeling that was growing inside him.

'_Syaoran…that's my name now…'_

Understanding, Fujitaka smiled, and began to un-wrap the rest of the bandages. As he unwrapped the bandage around the boy's brown hair, he gasped, his eyes widening in surprise…the boy's right eye was abnormal…it was the same color as the left, but it was blank and lifeless. It held no light as it would in a normal eye. "Your eye…" It left Fujitaka to one conclusion: the boy's right eye was blind. The boy, Syaoran, turned away. He knew it was a reason why the townspeople had neglected him, because of the way he often groped around for balance. He was always teased by the townspeople's children, always receiving snide remarks by their parents. A voice echoed in his mind…_'Look at that one, sitting by the wall. Don't turn out like him dear, he's like a piece of trash!'_

A stab of hurt struck his chest as a lump formed in his throat. _'That's what I am…a piece of trash…left to rot. I don't even remember where I'm from…'_

Fujitaka saw the hurt in Syaoran, his expression softening. He embraced him, sending the boy into a frozen state of bewilderment. "I know how you feel. Don't worry Syaoran…I'm not like them. Count on it." He released the boy from his hug, smiling. He examined the boy, noting his haggard appearance. Nodding, he rose and started towards the door to get some food. Suddenly, he heard a small voice behind him.

"Mister…"

He turned around, seeing the boy standing beside the bed, his wide, innocent brown eyes staring up at Fujitaka. The boy paused, and then spoke again. "Who…are you?"

Fujitaka stood silently briefly, and then chuckled. How should he reply? He beamed at Syaoran. "I am Fujitaka Kinomoto. But you may call me…Father."


	4. Chapitre 4: Father

A/N: First of all, I'd like to say how sorry I am for not updating for so long. (bows)

Second, I'd like to thank all who've reviewed! (bows again)

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Fujitaka loved the boy. After things had been settled, Syaoran slowly began to open up to the man. The boy was quiet and reserved, and held an emotionless face. But when Fujitaka began teaching him with his studies, a light shone in his large brown eyes. This delighted the man. He was uncertain at first if the boy could read or not, but found out the boy was actually knowledgeable, and was always interested in learning. But he held one concern…the boy's eye.

Syaoran's right eye was indeed blind. But it wasn't glass or milky white, like a normal blind eye. The eye's appearance was instead no different from the boy's left. Yet the child had felt pain from the right eye. There were times when Syaoran had woken up in the middle of the night yelping from the pain. Doctors were no help; they were only able to heal the wounds that Syaoran had when Fujitaka first found him.

The boy didn't complain; he had no memory of his past, not even a name. He was thankful that Fujitaka had taken him in. He could care less about his eye…someone cared about him, and to him, that was really something. He figured he could trust this man; he was different from the townspeople, who jeered and threw trash and pebbles at him. The old timer that gave him bread had some heart, but he wasn't like Fujitaka.

"Fuijta…Father…" mumbled the boy. Syaoran felt uneasy calling the man Father. From what he's seen, 'Father' was a name that the other children called one man that was blood related to them. This man had taken him in, but they were certainly not related by blood. He felt calling the Archaeologist 'Fujitaka-san' would be more respectful. But, if the man insists…

"Father…" repeated Syaoran. He was had been watching Fujitaka the past hour packing things into travel bags and suitcases. "Are we going somewhere?"

Fujitaka wiped his brow, placing some maps into a bag. He looked at Syaoran, smiling. "Yes. I've wanted to do an excavation in a country, and the country's king has allowed me to do so." Syaoran observed the man's face; it seemed to be full of happiness. "It was a dream to uncover the ruins of that country, now I'm finally able to."

Syaoran blinked with curiosity. "Where are we going?"

Fujitaka closed the final suitcase, and looked around, checking if he had missed anything. Finally, he replied. "To the country of Clow."


End file.
